Intermittent Hypoendorphinaemia in Migraine Attack

Abstract

Beta-endorphin (RIA method, previous chromatographic extraction) was evaluated in plasma of migraine sufferers in free periods and during attacks. Decreased levels of the endogenous opioid peptide were found in plasma sampled during the attacks but not in free periods. Even chronic headache sufferers exhibited significantly lowered levels of beta-endorphin, when compared with control subjects with a negative personal and family history of head pains. The mechanism of the hypoendorphinaemia is unknown: lowered levels of the neuropeptide, which controls nociception, vegetative functions and hedonia, could be important in a syndrome such as migraine, characterized by pain, dysautonomia and anhedonia. The impairment of monoaminergic synapses ("empty neuron" condition) constantly present in sufferers from serious headaches, could be due to the fact that opioid neuropeptides, because of a receptoral or metabolic impairment, poorly modulate the respective monoaminergic neurons, resulting in imbalance of synaptic neurotransmission.

Aerobic Exercise and Plasma Beta Endorphin Levels in Patients with Migrainous Headache Without Aura

“…So, the beneficial effect of exercise on our patients was most probably due to increasement in beta endorphin level. This is in concordance with the findings of decreased levels of endorphine in migraine patients (10, 14–19) and of endorphin mediated increasement in pain threshold induced by exercise (36–38). Also, we found that positive changes in headache parameters after exercise was negatively correlated with pre‐exercise beta endorphin level, which was in negative correlation with changes in the beta endorphin level.…”

“…There are many studies reporting the presence of dysfunction of the endogenous opioid system in migraine. Beta endorphin levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid were found to decrease in migrainous subjects during headache free periods and/or during attacks (10, 14–19). In one study, cerebrospinal beta endorphin level was found to be closely correlated with the severity of disease.…”

Non-Familial Hemiplegic Migraine Responsive to Naloxone

“…It is already known that in patients with common and classical migraine, C.S.F. levels of endorphins are low (22)(23), particularly during attacks. These seemingly diverging facts can only be reconciled when more information about these conditions is on hand.…”

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Approaches for Pediatric Pain: A Review of the State‐of‐the‐science

“…Both groups received 10 weekly treatment sessions and no children received prophylactic medications. Given that dysregulation of the endogenous opioid antinociceptive system has been proposed in migraine (20,21), blood samples were taken to examine treatment effects on plasma panopioid acitivty and levels of β-endorphin. The results showed that the true acupuncture group had clear reductions in migraine frequency and severity.…”